In dependence

[Anthony Kite]

The smooth, red acrylic warmed between my hands, the heady fuzz already washing in. Bare toes curled over the edge of the desk, I sank down into my chair, the thumping of the subwoofer on the floor rumbling through the leather. Caffeine contentedly blew little bubbles on the surface of his water. A warm breeze swirled in through the open window and a few medals hanging from a shelf clinked like wind chimes. Summer will always be my favorite season.

There was a knock at the door, and though I couldn't hear it over the music, it swung open anyway. Dad, in freshly washed and slicked hair and a black suit, waved away a curl of incense smoke hanging in the air. I spun down the knob on the stereo.

"Hey, kiddo." Dad smiled easily, proud even in spite of the image I must have cut: his only son as the centerpiece of a tableau of typical teenage rebellion. "I'm off for Chicago. I'll be back for the fourth if United stays on the ball. Don't drive your mother crazy, yeah?"

I laughed (which turned to coughing), pretty sure it's impossible for me to do wrong by Mom. "Sure."

"Let's see... You got a package; it's in the foyer. Mow the lawn tomorrow. Chris is welcome to stay for the holiday, but he's got to stop leaving the milk out." He checked the items off his mental list. "And one more thing: now I know that you know where I stashed the liquor cabinet key. Just don't open anything new. And stick around the house if you're going to do that, you hear?"

I tipped back in my chair and saluted with the Bic lighter still in hand. "You got it. Have fun golfing or whatever the hell you guys do at 'conferences.'"

Dad smiled and slapped the wood of the doorway with finality. "You bet. Stay safe, Anthony."

The stereo pumping again, I turned back to my MacBook, and I couldn't help but break into a grin. I love summer. Plus, my best friend is coming to visit.

[Blitzen]

New England doesn't just get hot, it's a lot like in Memphis during the summer - it gets humid. The humidity sticks to my skin and makes me wish I lived in one of those domes like in "The Truman Show" so it'd always be perfect weather. Tony says where he's from it's like that, and I'll know pretty soon! In Paragon for the most part I've been hitting the pool, the ocean and the showers in between class and work, but not this week.

This is THE week. I'm going to California. Seven days. Tony said it was cool and everything and that his mom didn't mind, but back home, Teddy Winston used to say that he'd ask me over for dinner and then his mom would stand there and give him "that look" on account of she wasn't expecting guests. 'Course it was easy enough then to ride my skateboard home. This? If Tony gets "that look" we're talking a flight 'cross country. But still, I can't wait.

I miss him something fierce and I really want to make sure he's okay. It's hard to tell sometimes through e-mail and IM's how someone is feeling. Even talking on the phone, it's really easy to say nothing's up, but in person, I don't know. I just know it's not the same without 'im is all. The skatepark is crowded from all the kids being home for summer and they got a day camp going, but that's not really it. I mean, sure I street skate to practice up - his friends are like near pro, and I'm still really a two trick pony. It's more than that though.

I hope he's having a blast. I would be. He's back home with all of his friends and his parents, but I worry about him. Not just the headaches and stuff, but about him in general. Sometimes I even worry about him not coming back. It's totally selfish, I know that. But it's like I haven't even been to California yet, and even I know it's going to be awesome. How could anyone pick Paragon over that? They have great skateparks and amusement parks and beaches with real waves and surfing and there's his real crew, and there's Hollywood and this amazing weather year round, and Tony, he hates the cold. I mean, if he stays there, I'll be happy for him, if it's what he wants. He's my best friend. I swallow that lump down. This week isn't about that. It's about seeing California, meeting the people he tells me all about, and of course, about getting to hang out with Tony.

I'm pretty sure Jules is glad the trip is finally here. She's gotta listen to it day in and day out. She even gave me a few bonus bucks last night for the trip, which she didn't have to do. She's like that though. Told me to take the famous Tony Kite out for a bite to eat on her. She doesn't even follow skating or nothing. But she's like that. I promise to get her something from the gift shop, and I need to buy something for Vi too - she gave me this incredible pair of shoes right before I left, so I promised her a snow globe.

I think I packed as carefully as Bryan did for Space Camp. I mean, I'm pretty sure Mei and me will be going shopping anyway, but it's California. Swimsuits, shorts, tank tops are a must. I packed something red, white and blue for the Fourth. Tony'll call me corny for it, but he'll say it with a smile and a punch on the arm. I also brought every Vin Diesel movie I own or could borrow - including "The Pacifier." He'll say that's corny too, but it's still Diesel, we'll watch it and crack jokes and I really miss our marathons. The first we had was my favorite: Samuel L. Jackson day. Near 24 hours worth. Everything from "S.W.A.T." to "Snakes on a Plane." I have the song cued up on my MP3 player. Cobra Starship. Tony hates 'em, but the song makes me laugh. Sorta reminds me of what a blast we had that time. We're going to have a blast this time too.

I can't wait.

The flight takes forever. At least it's non-stop. I pass some time talking to the person next to me who's on her way to see her new grandson. I tell her some about skating and Tony and she says she's heard of him, but I know she's confusing him with Tony Hawk. It's okay though. I get stuck holding yarn for her for a while while she knits, but it keeps my hands from breaking anything. It's a pretty good flight over all. No snakes.

Tony waits for me outside the gates which is a good thing on account of the airport is huge and I get turned around real easily. There's like eight baggage claim areas. He smiles this lopsided grin at me when I finally dodge my way around the slowpoke departers, groggy from the 6 hour flight. All my grogginess is gone, and a smile easily comes across my face too. I'm in California; I'm with my best friend.

[Anthony Kite]

I've never had trouble sleeping. Even during all that crap in the spring before the Death Roll, I was sleeping 14--16 hours a day rather than not at all. Just the same, here I am, staring across the room at my bulletin board, and even though I'm exhausted, my eyes won't close. It feels like my blood is on fire. Just when I start to relax, it hits me all over again, adrenaline pounding my insides to a sweet and sour pulp. I have to wonder what the hell I'm doing.

I swing my feet to the floor, pull on some flannel pants, and pad downstairs. It's all too quiet. Everyone is asleep or gone--even Chris, who usually passes out on the couch in the rec room and we leave him there, isn't snoring tonight. It's cool outside and the night bugs rattle, but the cement of the patio still remembers the day, warm underfoot, and reminds me again. Everything reminds me.

Sam got into San Diego in the early afternoon, thanks to the time change, and God, was it good to see her again. Sure it's great being back on the west coast and home and with my family and the crew, and I don't miss the nuns and their draconian rules, but it's hard not to miss your best friend.

We tried to catch up--there's a lot to catch up on--and just kicked around, really. We toured the neighborhood and my house, had dinner, gossiped a lot. She poked at random crap in my room, and I showed her what I was up to on the clothing line. We talked a lot about what she wanted to do this week--skate the park, meet the crew, go to Six Flags, watch movies, eat a lot. We hit the beach to catch the sunset, got some gelato. Then she mentioned, sort of by the way, that she's seeing someone.

I have to laugh at myself. Why should it matter? Why should it even fucking matter? But, somehow, it does. It does enough to make me say things that--things that... Jesus, I don't even know.

My fist meets concrete with a wet snapping sound. The patio is fine, of course, but the pain is a sheet of white, pumping me full of endorphins, the immediate burst of healing soaking up some of that adrenaline. No, I'm not super strong or impervious to pain, just barely lucky enough to make up for all the shit choices I make. Just so I can live to make more.

Sam's not even my "type," so far as I have one. So why do I have this gnawing--this about-to-throw-up, gut twisting need to have her? It's like it was with Jenny, times ten, and I'm not even drunk. I wonder this makes me some kind of monster...

It's like jumping off the bridge. I'd risk everything just so not knowing doesn't eat me alive. I've got to figure out if I'm really in love with Sam or if I'm just really fucked up about girls. And I figured I owed it to her to tell her. Because we're best friends--I couldn't hide it if I tried. And if it's genuine? I'd never forgive myself if I missed out for good.

And to a guy like Diego? I've thought a couple times now about throttling him if I had to, the hypocritical freak. I think I could take him if all he does is stab real well. Pop some pain killers and let him stab at me until I can get close enough to beat his face in. If he breaks Sam's heart--if he so much as makes her cry...

The metacarpals have knitted back together, and even though it hurts, I will my hand to flex so the ligaments don't heal stiff. There's a familiar tightening in my skull--karmic backlash for instant gratification, I figure. I could take some Excedrin, but then I'd be up all night for sure. I hope Sam's sleeping okay.

She surprised me. I guess turning all the talk of jetting across the country to visit me into a reality is what set me off. She wouldn't even let me pay her way but worked hard to earn the money herself. And then she went on about how much she missed me--we've been e-mailing a lot, but it's not the same as hearing it in person, you know? But the kick in the teeth is that it turns out she got all jealous when I was dating Elly... I don't think I ever, in a million years, would have guessed that. And the weird shred of, I dunno, hope? It gives everything that's hitting me now this razor edge. The adrenaline has a bite to it: a metallic tang that makes the world throb to the beat of my headache.

Why? I ask myself fifty--sixty times, "Why?" Why ruin a perfect week on the first day? Why Sam? Why now? Why does trying to make things better make me feel worse?

I grab the watering can and hit the blood spatter, chasing it into the grass. I wipe my hand off on the lawn, too. There's no reason to go freaking Mom out.

If I can just get through tonight, I think everything will be fine. We'll be busy, the crew will be around. I can keep my hands to myself. I can pretend it's not weird. Sam'll have a great vacation if it just about kills me. Because we're best friends, and that's what friends do, even if it feels like the best isn't good enough for her anymore.

[Blitzen]

Despite everything, I slept great last night. I guess it was a combination of things - the long flight, the jet lag - 1 am to them felt like 4 to me - just everything, my eyes shut when I first hit the pillow and stay shut until this morning. I take a quick shower and let the water hit me full blast. It's not just to wash off the flight, it gives me something to focus on. I want to get downstairs, to start another day, to not be alone, and not think. It isn't easy, and I'm not all that good at it.

I'm glad he told me, I am, and not just in that I'm trying to kid myself way. Tony's honest with me always, and it's one of the things I respect about him. If I look all lame, sure enough he'll tell me, but not like being mean, more like so no one else will. And things are just so... easy. I don't worry when I'm with Tony. I don't talk too much like when I'm nervous and all of my thoughts jumble into one run-on sentence. I don't need to make a wall out of words, say enough and you don't really say anything, it's not like that with Tony. I don't over think, it's just, I dunno what, but it's great.

I shut the water off, towel dry my hair and take a second to look in the mirror. "You're safe." That's what he told me months ago. We were killing some time near the fire pit and he knocked into my arm, he said I was crew, and I was safe, a buddy. I smile at the memory, picturing the scent of the burning wood and the way Tony tried to play off like the cold didn't bug him.

I push off the vanity to get dressed, as Chris bounds down the hall to wake up Tony, breaking me out of the memory. Like everyone so far, Chris is amazingly cool. He's got this impish grin that makes me half not trust him, but not in a bad way. Sorta like I always expect to walk through a door and have a bucket of water fall on me. It never does, but that's what he looks like.

Emilio gets there first, followed by Ben. Emilio has this great sense of humor. He calls me a doll and I call him bud which he finds funny, and I get all self conscious for a second. My accent's been thicker since I got here, or maybe it's just I notice it more, on account of well... first off, no one says "on account of." Chris said we can turn that into a drinking game, but Tony gave him a warning about it yesterday, and then I felt all sorts of better. Emilio has a warm smile to him. He's one of those people who looks like he can be all badass, but you can tell he's got a real big heart, and that he'd go to the wall for you if he had to. Chris too. I smile, on account of Chris has no problem helping himself to a piece of my toast, even though I'd taken a bite out of it already. It's just just kind of an instant familiarity. Ben seems like a great guy, but a little more reserved, I guess. Maybe it's on account of he's shy, or because he waits for his own toast rather than take the untouched piece I offer him, I'm not really sure. Rob and Mei show up last just as Tony stumbles down the stairs. Maybe it's because he's on his home turf, but Rob warms up to me a bit. He calls me Sammy and even gives me a hug, and Mei totally notices the shoes I'm wearing right off the bat. I'll have to make sure the snow globe I get Vi is a real good one.

But in any case, we have a blast. Tony suggests skate shopping on account of I'm still using his old K2's with a pair of hockey socks. I say they're fine, I mean, they are, way better than what I had, and I balk a little on account of I was saving up cash to shop with Mei, but I go anyway to check out the Starshot gear. Rob cracks this joke while we're there, holding up a helmet and saying "Hi! I'm the famous skater, Tony Kite! Buy my shit!" And Ben, he holds up his hands with this thumbs crossed behind Rob's back, flapping them like little wings. For a second my eyes narrow defensively and I think about going all tank on them, but Tony laughs it off and calls them dicks, so I smile a bit too and let it go.

Everyone's offering up advice on what skates to get and it's awesome, not like back at the park in Paragon where people get all like you're a wannabe and not worth the time, so I decide on these Razors Cult 7's. Mei and Emilio decide I gotta look at boardshorts, because mine are all east coast. I tell 'em they aren't, I actually got them in Memphis, so Emilio slings an arm over my shoulder and takes me aside telling me it's not something to go bragging about. Even I have to laugh. When I get done trying on a couple of pair, Mei tells me the ones I'm wearing are actually just fine. Turns out Tony has the skates all paid for and he makes this idle threat if I try and pay him back, so I get all red and just say thanks on account of I don't want to go and make a big deal, and it was just really cool of him to do. They're like 150 bucks, I'll pay him back sometime when I can, and I'd hate to ruin the day.

And holy cow what a day! These guys skate AMAZING. I show off my two grinds, which I manage to pull even with a new set of skates. They fit great, and Mei gives me a couple of Band-Aids just in case I get blisters from 'em, so I say thanks to her too even though I couldn't remember the last time I got a scratch on me. Chris offers to show me a few tricks on some smaller verts, and Ben gives him crud about belonging there anyway, but I have a great time. It's different than hitting verts on the board, and I face plant a few times, but again, that's the good thing about being a tank. Still, I dust myself off and even fake a limp once just on account of I don't want to get all show-offish about it. I do manage to get some air and land a 360 grab, so I'm pretty happy. I want a break anyway, so we go watch Tony do his thing for a bit. Sure enough, just like back home he generates a crowd and he totally eats it up. I cheer for him real loud and just like back home, he tosses me a nod and a smile before pulling off something I think is impossible.

It's over too soon and we all pile back into the cars to head over to Carls' Juniors for Six Dollar Burgers. Tony goes for this Jalapeno burger, but I don't think my taste buds have recovered from the gelato yesterday yet, so he suggests the Guacamole Bacon one. He says it's a California thing, and it's pretty good, but I won't so much miss it back on the east coast.

We talk up Six Flags some, only the weather report says T-storms are on the menu for tomorrow. I tell Tony that I brought a bunch of Diesel flicks, and Emilio stops at Blockbuster to pick up some fill-ins just in case the day is a wash for the amusement parks.

Emilio cranks up the radio and I lean my head against the car door, enjoying the breeze from the open window taking in the landscape. The streets are lined with palm trees, you can see the ocean off on the left, and it's exactly how I pictured. Chris was up front with Emilio, Ben rode with Mei and Rob so Tony sat in the back with me, bobbing his head slightly to the music while Emilio drummed on the steering wheel. I put my new skates in my gear bag, but I hang onto the old K2's almost protectively. I remember back to the first time we went skating and can't help but smile. We had such a great time then. I steal a sideways glance towards Tony, and my stomach hurts a little, but I don't think it's from the guacamole.

I'm not his type. Tony's, that is. He goes for girls... like that girl at the party we went to, the one he hooked up with, even if they didn't really get together after that. Or like Elly. Or I could even see Brianna. I never thought about him "like that" because he said it from the get go- I was crew, and you don't date crew. I was honest with him back, sure I was jealous when he first started seeing Elly, but that was because Tony and me spent near all our time together before they started dating... but that's all it was, right? It had to be. I mean, we went to that college party, and he was my wingman at dances, and we had movie days with just me and him, and I thought everything would change between me and him, but it didn't, not really. He still spent time with me, we still went skating all the time, and we went to Philly and Chicago, and everything was cool, we were still best friends. That's what it is with him and Diego. It has to be. Maybe it's not that he has feelings for me as much as it is that he's afraid things will change? But then... it was so hard getting up the nerve to tell him about Diego, why? I wasn't even going to say anything, but we sat there on the beach and I felt all sick like I was hiding something from him. Why? Maybe it was because I want his approval so bad and I was scared he didn't like Diego, and because I care a lot about what Tony thinks. Or maybe it's because...

Emilo laughs as he hit the power button for my window, snapping me out of my daze as we pull up Tony's block, and I manage to push my thoughts aside. I told Tony yesterday to think about it, that we'd talk when he got back to Paragon. I catch sight of him smiling as he still bobs his head to the beat and find myself smiling back.

Because maybe.

[Anthony Kite]

We were all crammed in a mess of limbs and throw pillows onto the overstuffed L-shaped couch in the rec room. The last of the day's storm splattered on the sliding glass door to the patio, but the surround sound blared as things exploded on screen, drowning it out. On the giant widescreen LCD, Vin Diesel's chiseled biceps must have measured over 20 inches around as he flexed in all his badass, high-definition glory.

"Oh no he didn't!" Chris giggled and vaulted over the coffee table loaded with paper plates and tumblers of Coke, pouncing to wedge himself between the girls. He leaned across Mei and waved the red acrylic water pipe under Rob's nose.

He pushed it away politely. "Nah, bro, designated driver."

Chris scoffed dramatically. "Not for, like, eight hours. C'mon, Ol' Boy is baked."

He pointed at Emilio who was sprawled out on the other side of me with his shirt unbuttoned, "Carla," inked in script over his heart. Rob was mumbling something about taking Mei home by the time Emilio realized he was being pointed at.

"Huh? What'd I do now?"

"Righteous." Chris chuckled and listed the other way onto Sam. "An-tho-ny. Quit trying to impress your girlfriend and rip it."

I hesitated, glancing down at Sam who was reclined against me, feet tucked up and stuck between the couch cushions. She looked between us and kind of shrugged as best she could while squished. I figured she wouldn't mind--she didn't really look surprised when Ben had asked to borrow my bong in the first place, and didn't object when he and Chris lit up half way into "Pitch Black," but still...

Maybe I was trying to prove something, or maybe I decided that cloudy judgment would only make things worse. Either way, all I managed to mutter was, "Not my girlfriend," and Chris took the hint, shrugged, and went back to his spot on the couch.

I spent the next half hour trying not to look at Sam, trying to act nonchalant, trying not to jostle her even though Emilio's feet were getting heavy. Things had been smooth until Chris opened his trap. The skate park was awesome. We'd turned a rainy day into a killer movie marathon. It was like the best times of both coasts all in one. I'd almost forgotten. Almost.

Eventually Mom poked her head into the rec room, and fortunately there was a lull in the action and the pounding club music so she could catch our attention.

"Meiying, it's a quarter to ten. Do you need a ride home?"

Mei craned over the back of the couch and grinned. "No, Rob's gonna drive me. Thanks, though, Mrs. A."

Mom came over and leaned on the back of the couch, surveying the rest of us. "How about you, Emilio?" He was still really out of it.

"Oh, yeah, naw, I'm good. I'm walking." He waved vaguely.

She nodded. "Alright then." She focused on the TV and made a grabbing motion toward the bowl on the coffee table. "Triple X, huh? Great flick."

I passed Mom the popcorn bowl. "You just say that 'cause you've got the hots for Vin Diesel."

She took a handful of popcorn and retorted, "The only Vin I have 'the hots' for is your father and you're proof." She kissed me comically on the temple, knocking me into Sam.

Mei and Ben giggled and more of them smirked, but I just made loud disgusted noises, scrunching up my nose at her. "Then where are all my brothers and sisters?"

Mom scoffed back and wiped a buttery hand in my hair as payback. "Don't stay up too late, you guys. I'm making waffles before you head out tomorrow."

The crew returned a chorus of, "Okay"s, "We won't"s, and, "Thanks, Mrs. A"s, and a cheesy, "Love ya, Mama," from me.

I know the relationship I have with my parents is rare. Maybe it's because they're really young and financially secure, and I wasn't an accident, I dunno. Everyone says how lucky I am because they're so lax and they can relate to kids--my mom's one of the favorite teachers at school. And I thank God every day for that. But when it comes to stuff that really matters, I'm terrified of letting them down. Most kids can lie to their parents and don't give a shit whether they have trust and respect so long as they have a strategy for getting around curfew and sneaking beer. So when they screw up big time, it's just like anything else. I don't have that. If I screw up, I have to face it--and them.

Maybe I'll talk to Mom about Sam, get some advice. I know she'll worry 'cause she knows about Jenny. She'll worry about me getting expelled 'cause she knows about St. Patty's Day and Elly and my stash at school and all the other crap I've gotten away with so far. She's good about not discounting my feelings, but I know she'll give me that same talk about "the long view" that all adults do.

Ultimately, I get to do what I want, but I have to feel bad about not taking good advice. I definitely wouldn't have it any other way, but it looks like being a teenager still sucks no matter how you slice it.

[Blitzen]

The weather was perfect when I woke up this morning, still a little punch-drunk from the marathon. Me and Tony made it all the way through The Pacifier. Mei had to be home at ten, Ben and Emilio left sometime around Knock Around Guys, and Chris, well, I wasn't really sure when he up and passed out, but I know it was just me and Tony left to groan and laugh at Shane Wolfe's situation when stuck protecting five kids and their guard dog of a duck.

Everyone came over in the morning, and Mrs. A. made waffles. She's like this amazing mom, and she hangs the moon on Tony. It's gotta be brutal for her to have him all the way 'cross country going to school, but you can tell that she'd do the best for him no matter what it means, and I guess right now that means SJS. In any case, I'm going to need to do a ton of tanking when I get back home to make up for all the calories. They were these perfect, thick, Belgium type waffles like you'd get in a diner, loaded up with real butter and maple syrup. Everyone made a buncha throw up jokes on account of we planned to go on like everything at Six Flags, and Tony's mom laughed along with us, warning everyone not to waste her good breakfast.

We all grabbed cans of pop from the fridge for the ride. Tony gave his mom a quick peck on the cheek as she saw us all to the door and watched as we climbed into the two cars, only this time it was me and Tony with Rob and Mei. Ben looked all sorts of put off at first, but Chris made a "couples only" comment that made my ears burn with embarrassment. I sorta wished he would've put a bucket of water over the doorway instead.

I was fine once we got in the car though. Mei and I talked a mile a minute about anything and everything. The skate park, school in California, the movies we watched, and of course, shopping. I mostly wanted to go and window shop, see a west coast mall, check and see if maybe their Seattle's Best had better coffee on account of it was closer to Seattle. That was one of those things I said aloud then wished I didn't on account of it made more sense inside my head.

Before long, we could see the observation tower looming over Interstate 5 followed by the twisting steel of the coasters, and I got that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach like right before you drop in when skating, sorta nervous and excited all at the same time. Everyone was laughing and talking all at once about what we wanted to hit first, and how long we'd stay in each park. It was two-fors with Coke cans, and everyone brought their suits so we could spend half the day cooling off in Hurricane Harbor, the Six Flags water park right next door.

Coasters won out, which is a good thing on account of it looked like there were more cars lined up to go to Hurricane Harbor than Magic Mountain. All the cars jockeyed for position on lines at the pay for parking booths. Emilio made a show of revving his engine every time he pulled along side Rob, and we all traded "Fast and the Furious" lines. At one point, Tony jetted his torso out of the window to grab Chris' shirt in the other car.

"I never narc'd on nobody! I never narc'd on nobody!" He mimicked Diesel near perfect, and I laughed so hard some Coke came out of my nose, which set Mei into a choking fit of her own. A nearby golf cart carrying two security guards stopped and turned in our direction.

"Oh shit! We got cops, cops, cops, cops!" Rob called out like Leon, and we all launched into some more laughter, settling down just as they got there. Rob changed lanes after that. Security kept an eye on us for a bit, but when they saw we weren't line jumpers or really doing anything except being normal kids, they let us be.

Everyone sprang for the Gold Flash Pass, which was expensive as all get out, but Tony bought my skates, so I didn't so much balk about spending an extra sixty bucks just to not stand on any lines. The guys were making me laugh - calling us all "flashers" and stuff, and acting like they were backstage passes or something, making a production out of showin' 'em off to near everyone. The passes were SO worth it - we got to hit near everything in the park a few times, plus catch this live action stunt show about the new Batman movie. Me and Tony sat next to each other and watched, poking each other and making notes about what would be great to try and recreate back in Paragon for the Youtube thing. We also checked out this "Ride the Mountain" show, with some amazing skaters and BMX'ers. Well, I was impressed, anyway. They didn't have a single in-line skater, just boarders and bikers. All of us cheered hard when it was mentioned one of the bikers was from Encinitas, and it turned out that he spilled real quick, but still, I had a great time watching. Some girl came up to us after, I thought maybe she was a fan of Tony's on account of a couple of people did recognize 'em - but no. She went and made this big deal about asking Tony which shop he bought his "adorable" wings at and it was all uncomfortable for a second, 'til Rob pointed over and said they came from some store in Looney Tunes land, and she ran off in that direction.

Somewhere around 4, we'd hit all the major rides thanks to the Flash passes, so we went and played near a dozen of those midway "skill" games. Mei won this really big stuffed Tweety Bird by tossin' a quarter onto a plate. The best was playin' the squirt gun game, where you had to shoot this stream of water into the clown's mouth, only mostly we ended up shootin' each other until the guy runnin' the game turned off the squirt guns and hollered at us to leave. By then we were pretty soaked anyway, and security started eying us again so we all figured it would be a great time to hit the water park.

That was a blast too! Mostly by then the hottest part of the day was over, so a lotta people were doing the reverse, hitting Magic Mountain. The park was great! Just a ton of slides and pools and places to hang out. Even the lazy river was fun, on account of we all formed this chain to stick together. Tony held onto my ankle and kept threatening to tickle my foot 'til I went and threatened to pop his tube, and it was just a great way to take a break from all the thrill sorta rides. It's funny, even though we were moving slow, I still had that "coaster" feeling even when I closed your eyes which I made the mistake of doing, 'cause then Chris and Emilio flipped my tube. I made some idle threats at them too after I got dunked, and I got them back in the wave pool, 'cause I'm a little stronger than I look and can go against the current.

We stayed until the water park closed at 7, then just pulled on some shorts and shrits over our suits to ride a few more coasters. Around 9, we'd hit near everything and everyone was all for leaving so we didn't get stuck in the traffic jam that'd happen when the park closed in an hour. Emilio's car smelled like water/theme park - like funnel cake and chlorine. We made a short stop for some coffee, but I skipped that part, on account of the day was still pretty warm and I can't see drinking something hot on a warm day. 'Sides, I doubt it woulda kept me up anyway. Tony offered up a shoulder and I was too tired, he was too comfortable for me to think about anything, so I sank into him. He draped an arm around my shoulder and I rested my head against his chest, his heart still drumming fast from the last ride on the Goliath, or maybe it was the doubleshot coffee he downed real quick. Me and him thumbed through the dozen or so park photos - the ones they take when you first walk in or hit certain rides, I made sure and bought each and every one. I took a whole batch of pictures with my digital, and on top of that, we all had charactures done. Tony's came out great, he was wearing skates and the guy drew him grinding, and with the wings, his piercings and blue hair, it was undeniably Tony Kite. I wanted something California , so the guy drew mine in skates wearing a bikini with an "I wish" body. He made the backdrop a boardwalk with palm trees and ocean waves; It's all sorts of West Coast-ish, and I gotta frame it when I get home. I loved the photo of the seven of us just getting to the park, everyone mugging it up for the camera with our flash passes. I chuckled a bit, looking around - we looked so ragtag compared to then, windblown, wet and worn out. I put my absolute favorite photo first, smiling back at the image of me and Tony on the Jet Stream. A log flume kind of thing, it was the one ride you could predict where the camera would be, so I'd leaned in close to him and we managed to pose well for two people about to plummet down a jet stream of water. I laughed about that, too. I mean, I'm a tank, he can recover from near anything, and here I have a buncha photos of us screaming on these totally safe rides. I closed my eyes as I leaned against Tony, Emilio's music thumping in my ears, and smiled again. The day was perfect.